Here is a very well written manifesto to MS about the recent perils of XBL. Its worth the read. Trust me. The forum post has been locked since and mysteriously disappeared. I managed to salvage it because the page was already loaded and I emailed the link to another person who could not access it. His GamerTag, DWells55X, is now mysteriously invalid all… weird. Click more for the entire ‘festo.
I won’t pretend that this is a completely original idea and no one else has ever raised the question of why Xbox Live is a pay service. In fact, I used to be one of the people who argued against them and supported Xbox Live. But, with recent Xbox Live troubles and news, it’s becoming significantly more difficult to do this. Having taken the time to really look at the state of Xbox Live is making me have to start agreeing with the people who I used to argue against.
Let’s start with the recent Xbox Live downtime. It is, quite frankly, absolutely unacceptable for a pay service. Until a few days ago, my brother had a two week period where he could not recover his GamerTag from Xbox Live. That’s two weeks of no Xbox Live access whatsoever. He tried deleting the profile of his Xbox and recovering it again, but this didn’t work either. Now he couldn’t even access his game saves or earn any achievements. Although I had my account on my Xbox, that’s not to say everything’s been great. Like the rest of you, I’ve been experiencing a lot of trouble with Xbox Live. Inability to join games, sign in to Xbox Live, load the dashboard blades, sometimes problems bad enough to freeze my 360 entirely until I pulled out the Ethernet cable.
Yes, we’re getting a free Xbox Live Arcade game as compensation for nearly 3 weeks of Xbox Live downtime. Woohoo. No details have been given, and as a result I suspect that this free game will be a specific title or list of titles which Microsoft will choose. I feel that at the very least we deserve to be either refunded for a month of Xbox Live or given a free month on top of this. Think about it, if your cell phone service had trouble for a month, dropping calls, refusing to dial numbers, etc., you wouldn’t be satisfied with a free cell phone game. The first step would be a refund for that month and then some sort of compensation for the inconvenience on top of that.
Connection troubles aside, there’s other reasons why I feel Xbox Live shouldn’t be a pay service. As of March 1, 2008, Xbox Live Diamond will become an additional $6.95 fee. No thanks. Not only was this service close to worthless, but to charge for something that was supposed to be a benefit of paying for the Xbox Live service is absurd. It was pathetic as a freebie and to think anyone is willing to pay for this is ridiculous.
Next up, Xbox Live is full of ads. Even when you first boot up your Xbox 360, you’re greeted with ads on the Xbox Live blade. While this may not seem like a huge issue, how would you feel if your internet service provider, who you pay a fee to, placed ads on the desktop of your computer (which you also paid for)? Gold members should at the very least be given an option to disable these ads.
Xbox Live also feels the need to wrap content in restrictive DRM schemes that limit users’ access to the items they’ve purchased. Worst of all, this is done without proper warning of just how restrictive it is. Xbox Live Arcade titles and dashboard themes are unusable when not connected to Xbox Live unless you are on the same Xbox they are purchased on. So, as a reward for being a loyal customer and upgrading to the Halo 3 edition of the Xbox 360, all the content I purchased on my previous content is now unusable when I’m not signed into Live on the account I purchased them from. This means that when Xbox Live is having trouble or when I’m on vacation or anywhere else I don’t have steady high speed internet access, I can’t play the games which I have paid for.
Despite the fee for Xbox Live, networking is almost entirely peer to peer reliant. There are no dedicated servers for games, something which has been long available to PC games with no online fee. The average residential high speed internet connection often does not have an upload bandwidth capable of properly supporting large amounts of players. This results in lag and allows for exploits relying on network manipulation, for example the standby cheating which plagued Halo 2.
One would think that the fee for Xbox Live would entitle users to extra content to justify the fee. However, Microsoft allows companies to charge often high prices for nearly every single piece of downloadable content for games. This setup for the Xbox Live Marketplace encourages developers to either purposefully withhold content or release games lacking content with the intent of later releasing and charging an additional fee for the rest of the content. Xbox Live’s content setup may even discourage free content. Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney is quoted in a 1Up Podcast as saying that “We’ve been wanting to give them away for a long time, but actually Microsoft has been pushing back on us for that.” The video game magazine Game Informer supported this in a 2007 issue where they also claimed that Microsoft forces companies to charge for content they wish to distribute. I do not doubt this to be the case, as free content for online PC games has long been the standard. Call of Duty 4 currently has a new downloadable map available for PC users which is absent from the 360 version.
So, what exactly is Xbox Live offering its paying customers? A unified friends list? The same feature has been available to PC gamers through free applications such as XFire and Steam. Put simply, the features of Xbox Live simply do not justify its price when considering the free services offered by the competitors and the robust structure of online PC gaming.
Although I’m sure many are likely to disagree with me and simply respond with “if you don’t like it, don’t pay,” it’s not quite that simple. Without an online service, my games and the console itself lose much of their playability and worth. I also lose contact with my friends who still use Xbox Live. So unless I’m willing to cut off contact with my friends and make my system no longer worth playing, no longer paying for Xbox Live isn’t really an option.
I’d like to hear the thoughts of the rest of the community. I feel that now, in light of the recent Xbox Live downtime, is a good time to start changing Xbox Live for the better.
Very very well written. Concerned why his gamertag is now invalid though?
… wait how does PC call of duty get a new map? Good letter though makes me question the 12 month I bought.
Your 100% right i love xbox live but it is a rip off. PC has been doing all that for years. The PS3 is on its way to something good with the whole PSHome which is making Xbox Live look real stupid right now. $50 a year for what..
GTFO PS3 FANBOY!1!!
Indeed, very well written. His voice should not be shut up by Microsoft, it’s true what he says, The only reason we’re paying for Live is because M$ can get away with it, but no longer with all these issues going on! This is inacceptable! As ambassador Udina (Mass Effect) would say: “I demand action!!”
Well written indeed, as i’m not a PC gamer I was not aware of some things you mentioned and surprised
This is very well written. I have posted a while back that M$ was charging me for an account that I was no longer using and refused to redisburse the funds to the account that I did use. This was/is how they treat loyal customers of over 5 years without even considering the fact that they do have competition. In effect, they are driving their own customers off. Like myself, people invest a lot of money into thier systems and games and I don’t think it’s to much to ask to not be shat on by those who we pay much money to. Customer diservice is one of M$ strongest attributes and a day will come when they are wondering where all thier customers went.
Absolutely the best argument for changing the way Xbox Live currently works.
Considering the recent bombshell of Warner Bros. dropping of HD-DVD, I’d really like to go the digital download route for HD movies… but XBL charges way too much for their content.
But the biggest pain in the butt (which is in the post) is the inability to play or use content you’ve purchased (unless you’re logged in) if you get a new 360… or even if you had to get your RROD machine fixed… because fixed to MS means a refurbished launch model that previously RROD. Unfortunately, that also isn’t the machine you purchased the content on. So now when family members want to play content I purchased they have to log into my account too. Just annoying.
We really should be getting more bang for the buck.
We pay about $4 per month for Xbox Live ($50 for 13 months). If it was $25 or more per month ($300/year), I would agree with the issues listed in the letter. There are problems with the set up and recent outages but I really am not too bothered with them when it’s just the price of a slice of pizza and a drink im loosing.
Why is everyone worked up about $4 per month for xbox live?
I agree with his opinions, in fact I have been saying the same thing for years. I owned a original xbox and loved it o death, while my cousins are all PC gamers and always used to raz me a bit for paying to play online. Now I can say Xbox Live is nicely set up when it works, but truthfully I also dont see the benifit. There are not dedicated servers unlike games on both the PC and PS3, this means more lag for people who play xbox live. If I pay for a service why are most games on 16 player multiplayer, its not the magic number like microsoft claims, its the most likely number of players the average home connection can support. PS3 online ( while not as flashy in looks) has first generations games (launch titles) Like Resistance Fall of Man where you can play 40player multi player online with no lag at all (providing you turn off the international option), meaning you dont play people in Japan. Warhawk is another example, on N4G.com they had pictures of the developers setting up towers of PS3 servers for theyr’e games so people could play online games without lag. (32 player multiplayer)
Now with all the money Microsoft makes you would think they would implement some of these practices, it would make a world of difference for all of the people who pay for their service. Im sick of hearing: The reason why xboxlive cost money is because of unifited friends list, wow! thats been around for PC players for sometime now and free of charge. What happens later this year when Sony offers this same service free on the PS3 free?
Kudos to Microsoft for having the first online console service that really worked but its far from perfect and realy doesnt deserve a monthly fee.
Very well written as many others have already said. sadly i feel you’re right.
After paying for live since 360 launch day its cost me quite a bit of money by now and with the recent breakages im a little annoyed to say the least. It doesnt really offer much more in terms of online than the ps3 and thats free!
Wake up M$ before you start to loose support!
nicely done, i agree with you twofold on your arguments, I never understood why xbox live required a fee, what really do they offer that the PC has been offereing for years.
I am now a proud owner of sony’s PS3, which doesnt require a fee to play online. The online serives the ps3 offer, at the moment, are infereor to xbox live, but ithe PS3’s defence, xbox live has been around for 5 years. I think when the PSN starts to flesh out and expand its number of features, as well as when home comes out, which has the potential to revolutionize online matchmaking, i think we will see a response by microsoft in the form of either a cheaper price or no fee at all. Give the people what the want.
@jason M$ has already lost support. It’ may not be to the point that they notice yet, but they will notice when enough people realize they don’t have to pay for golden showers.
I agree 100%. The map that we didnt get for COD4 is a point well made.
Very well written… I agree with most of the things you said, but you know we are dealing with technology and problems can happen. I just think Micro$oft (wether working nicely or badly) shouldn’t aks us to pay to play online. I really really hope they re-think this and start doing the right thing.
I agree completely. They have claimed to fix these issues multiple times, but they continue to provide substandard services, even though everyone must pay for it if they want to play with their friends or have access to expansions, which are often also unfairly priced. This is no way for a professional company to be treating its paying customers.
you are totally true they just want to loot people for the things that should be free with the games, we are already paying higher price for xbox 360 game dvd’s and then too.. we need to pay extra for gold account for playing online as well as to pay for additional content too which at least should be free
Windows never worked right, (Windows ME anyone?) why does anyone expect any other service from Microsoft to work properly?
But seriously, the service we are receiving for the price we are paying is truly unacceptable.
A free month of Live would be nice, assuming the service works properly during the free month.
@ nostars Whenever the PTB (powers that be) hear “free” their @$$holes pucker up tighter then a snair dum
I totally agree. And to the guy who said who is worried about paying $4 a month. It’s more than PC gamers pay for a better service.
In england we pay about $80 a month for live, and our games cost the equivalent of $100.
@Nick I sincerely hope you meant that you pay the equivalent of $8 US per month for Live, because there is no way in hell that the service is worth $80 US per month on its best day.
I know what we can do to get this out to the common public! We’ll start a flood of mail spamming! We’ll all copy and paste this in emails, Facebook, MySpace etc.! Then there’s NO WAY that MS can shut us up!
Maybe we’ll actually get something of real value from MS! Like a month of Gold! Or maybe they’ll get so much heat from the public (and hopefully other media) that they’ll have to reduce the price of Gold!
Btw, I’m a bit confused here. Xbox LIVE Diamond? What’s that? Are they taking away some of our existing privliges and making us pay for it? Like they did with Silver accounts?
I totally, completely and without any doubt, agree with this guy.
Xbox Live Gold membership is pure and shameless robbery. They charge for almost anything! The next thing be charging by the minute you are in.
MS has always been a master in the mystical arts of “charging-for-everything”, no wonder why Billy Gates its the most rich man in the world.
I always said: Xbox Live MUST be a free service. We have to pay for it and on top of that we have to stand ads everywhere!? It sucks.
I say we start a campaign: no one logs in Xbox Live until things improve for us.
And MS, my gamertag is darkshine knight, if you don’t like my comments.
SONY had online games before Microsoft ever constructed Xbox Live. So technically SONY should have advanced past Microsoft a long time ago. they don’t listen to their users and instead do only what they want and what they think is best. Case and point look at their best online shooter – SOCOM – They delay the hell out of the game and content and sometimes offer no content. They spread their updates out way to far. I do not think SONY will ever get near where Microsoft is with their network. Also SONY doesn’t have a set orgination for their network which hurts them. What SONY really needs is someone like Marjor Nelson who is a go between with the MS community and the developers. Maybe once they have someone like that and actually listen to that person they will get somewhere. For now they just mimmick as much as they can from other console makers to try and be something they are not. Good luck Sony in returning to where you once were. I know the Xbox Live situation sucks right now, but MS will work it out. Does you IT department always fix everything as fast as the users think it should be fixed. Probably not, but life goes on. Give em a break and enjoy the real world when the virtual one isn’t available.
His account hasnt dissapeared.
They didnt “silence” him.
Infact his account is VERY much so active, just add him and ask.
I totally agree with you. Just three weeks ago I tried to sign on to XBL. I had to call in to customer support only to find out my actual console has been ban. The reason being stated by the XBL Representative is that they markedmy console as being modified/tampered with and that is totally b.s. I have modified/tampered with my XBOX 360 to begin with. It took another two weeks to realize their mistake and take my console off ban. But, the damage was too late. I’ve had a PS3 since launch and have made it my primary gaming console of choice. I have one month of XBL left and DO NOT plan on ever renewing the most useless $50 dollar service I have ever payed for. Sony knows they are not the strongest in online service, but they are surely working on it and it shows. Also their 2008 line-up is a lot more appealing that Microsoft’s. With that said. Long live free online play. I play where the fun is free. The way it should be.
Its not as good as xbox live but at least I don’t have adds and fee’s! So any xbox fanboys trying to talk crap at least iam saveing a buck! Now that I think about it… by the time you get the xbox after 360, you are going to spend so much money paying for live. Think about it psn is free meaning I pay 500 up front. My system is expensive but I don’t have charges racked on every month =P.
Its not as good as xbox live but at least I don’t have adds and fee’s! So any xbox fanboys trying to talk crap at least iam saveing a buck! Now that I think about it… by the time you get the xbox after 360, you are going to spend so much money paying for live. Think about it psn is free meaning I pay 500 up front. My system is expensive but I don’t have charges racked on every month =P.
@ Steve C – I’d love to add him, however when you click on his gamertag or try to find him on xbox.com, this is what you get:
http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/invalid.aspx
Try it yourself:
http://live.xbox.com/member/DWells55X
You all sound like a bunch of spoiled brats. XBOX-Live is the best console online service ever created, when you consider just what is being offered. Before Live, the idea of persistant gamertags, in-game real-time chat, friends lists, online competition between others around the world, as well as co-op gaming, etc… did not exist. for the measly cost of $50/yr. I guess you expect everything to be perfect, all the time, but for Microsoft to foot the bill. Next you will be expecting the games to only cost $10, and the console itself to be free! Please. Give me a break. This thread sounds like it is coming from a PS3 fan, who has a “free” online service, that does not come close to comparing with Live, so they make pretend they are digruntled 360 fans. If PSN or “Home” ever get to the level of XBox Live, you can rest assured you will have to pay for it. Someone will, and it will not be SONY or the game devs. I have a Live account, gamertag “Reanimator”, I had some issues in the past few weeks, but it only costs about $4.50 a month. Be real. I can and did survive! Grow up and look at the real world.
“You all sound like a bunch of spoiled brats. XBOX-Live is the best console online service ever created, when you consider just what is being offered. Before Live, the idea of persistant gamertags, in-game real-time chat, friends lists, online competition between others around the world, as well as co-op gaming, etc… did not exist.”
They did exist. On the PC. For free. For many, many years. I was playing in “online competition between others around the world” over 10 years ago. Even Sega beat them to the punch when it comes to consoles.
I’d be happy paying $50 if there were dedicated servers and less downtime. At the moment though, Gold seems very poor value even if it doesn’t cost much money.
Just imagine if your local government put in a toll booth at the end of the road and set the price at $1. It’s not much money but you’d still complain about it because you’re used to driving down the road for free.
Very clear and straight forwarded letter.
As I read further down, I realised that the live service is not the only one thing Microsoft is trying to cash in. Official wifi adaptor in UK for example, Microsoft sell them for a whopping £60! The cheapest I can find from any reputable store are £55. (Thats $110-120 dollars for you!). A Belkin wireless PCI card for example, can be bought for £12-£18.
Add £40 more, you could be looking at DS Lite console which even has wifi inbuilt! In fact, the REST of consoles (PSP, DS Lite, Wii and PS3) all have wifi! Microsoft have said that they excluded wifi from 360 because of the cost but in reality, it is probably only few pounds more to have wifi inbuilt (look at £99 DS Lite for example) and just like their live service, they are probably cashing it in as well!
Surely, people here in UK have questioned the price of PS3 (40GB for £280) but then the price of the basic xbox 360 console (Arcade version – no harddrive, inbuilt 256mb memory unit) is £200 and for me, I would need to add £40 xbox live and £60 wifi adaptor on top of it. Thats the total of £300 with NO harddrive or HD movie playback! Pick high end 360, you could be looking at something like £380 (or $760 for you!)
Suddenly, PS3 price/running cost is looking very attractive now!
Gary
I’ve been playing video games for almost 30 years. Yes I played the SEGA version. Ahead of its time. Extremely laggy while playing football, but for then, incredible. However, no-one has offered the complete package that Live offers. I mean “all of it”, not bits and pieces. The unified friends lists and persistant gamertags, and only having “1″ tag. That;s where Live shows its stuff.
I reposted this on an xbox forum and they locked it up. (Check for yourself http://forums.xbox.com/17824098/ShowPost.aspx)I think this letter is getting under someone’s skin.
Yo some of you need to relax! Talkin all this “GTFO PS3 fanboy” The only reason you people talk smack about the other system you dont have is cause you dont wanna pay for it. Listen i Got a 360 a PS3 and a Wii and They are all great. This past year my favorite was the 360. After seeing home and what that will do for the gaming community im pulling for sony. If home does what they say it will then xbox live has no chance it just wont have the content. It will have its movies and the iptv but you know how many people on the reg. xbox just sat in voice chat rooms. can you imagine what it will be like when you can walk around do the math.
Couple of things,
– Live in the UK (and Europe) is expensive, even for what it is, but having seen the infrastructure that’s in place for it, it’s certainly not going to be cheap to run.
– I agree Live should be cheaper, or if Ad sponsored, then free.
– PSN (yes I have a PS3 as well), is rubbish by comparison, however it’s free. Don’t expect it to stay that way though when it’s not rubbish, Sony are one of the best companies in the world at charging or restricting their technology (just look at the DRM on Blu-Ray)
– I wish Microsoft would loosen up on the content/charging/security restrictions of the Live service, more developers would offer more content if it was easier
– The DRM needs to be sorted on 360, moving from console to console (as I have a few times now due to RROD) is just a Royal Pain In the Ar$e. Also if Microsoft truly believe that download is the way to go for HD Content, then charge less, and let us ‘own’ it, that’s the huge thing that’s stopping legal download HD Content. Storage for most people is just not a problem, but at the moment people have a warm fuzzy from ‘owning’ the disk (Blu-ray DRM not withstanding, you still have a physical disk), and it’s percieved by a lot of people that they don’t own a downloaded movie, if the user could move that onto a physical disk then the service would work.
Anyhow, that’s just my 2peneth worth
I still don’t see why Live is so much better than PSN when talking about actual online play. “The unified friends lists and persistant gamertags” is only a friends list and an online name. PSN has that. Live also has online matches. So does PSN. The only thing better about Live is there are more users, which isn’t a big deal cause the millions on PSN are enough, and there’s more downloadable games available. But they’re a rip off, and PSN has games to. So quit saying Live is so much better then PSN, cause you’re paying for the same thing plus ads and failure.
i totaly agree with u dwells55x. omg the ps3 and pc get free online, even the psp has free online. AND WITH 32 F-ING PLAYERS TO!!! Halo 3 is the only thing keeping me on xbox live (and by that i mean when its not freezing and the accasion when i can “retrieve info”).
GO COUNTERSTRIKE(PC) and MEDAL OF HONOR HEROS(PSP )
ps.- MS how about this, raise price on downloadable content as a tax going to you, and give us free gold xbox live.
@ Corvax,
I don’t think that would be a good idea to do so. Think about it: Yeah, they give us free LIVE, but then the prices for DLContent sky-rocket. It’s already bad enough that some HD Content is close to half of 1600 MS Points. Eventually, if they raise those prices, no one will buy anything. Por example, Ghost In The Shell anime eps are currently 320 MS Points, which in itself is an outrage. If we were given “Free LIVE” and they upped the price to about 420 or higher and shows that were 160 were upped to 260 and up….who would be buying them?. Also don’t forget to add in HD content, Pics and Themes, XBL Arcade, Added Game Content…..it’ll be hell.
I myself can’t say what will happen but something needs to.
Best article ever.
@ anthony, yeah my bad for the GTFO I was looking at some pictures with bob barker and schwarzenegger, and I coundn’t stop laughing so I decided to post GTFO on the first chance I got. My bad homie.
*sorry for the double post* Bill Gates should be ashamed of himself what ever happend to “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”? huh? Thats why I listen to an iPod, and use a Mac BookPro.
Wow so Iam now a ps3 fan boy because I disagree with microsofts online system. Wow you sound like some one who has never played psn. War hawk is a decent preview of whats to come on psn and it plays IMO just as good as halo 3 or better. Yea thats right I said it halo 3 is dumb so kill me. War Hawk is the sh** I love everything about the game, iam not gonna lie I do wish psn had all those nice features XBL has. You still fail to mention anything about the adds in your rant on how XBL. Wow man you need to grow the hell up MR.
William Powell…
@ I have a PSN:
Its okay to curse. See… cock, balls.
Its fine. The only thing we don’t want to see is any racism. Racism is bad mmm’kay?
@ I have psn
Are you talkin to me? If you are, then go to hell, I am absolutely anti-PS
I love the xbox, and any other unholy spawn to come out of the hell known as microsoft game studios. Nintendo kicks ass too, hell I still play donkey kong country. (hope they add that to the marketplace). You know what, I love the adds on the 360 dashboard, sometimes hey lead to free gamerpics and themes, I would have bought the new map pack for halo 3 had I not seen the ad for metal slug 3. I don’t give a crap what you say about halo 3 Cod4=gearsofwar>halo2>halo3. And by the way, its mister needles…
And If you’re not talking to me, sorry for misunderstanding, and rock on.
That was a very well thought out letter. I feel bad for all the Xbox live users though as they have to pay for not only service that has been free to all PC users for years. They also get screwed with the DRM on all there paid for DLC. If they have it that way they should not be giving back Refurbished consoles back but instead returning the original fixed console back.
The thing that bothers me the most though is the thought of some of the additonal add on content for games that microsoft forces game developers to charge for. I think of it almost like what Downloadable Movies & TV shows are probably like on XBL. Now I don’t have XBL or an Xbox 360 so I’m not entirely sure but if you download a Movie do you get access to watch the Special features that would have been on the original disk? I may be wrong but as I understand it you are renting the movie only and no special features come with it. Now imagine if the movie srudios wanted to add special features to the rental. Now do you think Microsoft would dare charge for the privilage to access special features such as Deleted Scenes, Director Commentary, Trailers etc etc etc…..?
Now lets put this in a gaming presepective we as the consumer buy the game and then are nickel & dimed for additonal content. Now some of the Content could be true add-on’s such as stuff that was created for the game after it was completed or you could be paying for a games deleted scenes (Level’s, Playable Characters etc etc etc…….) Now Sony with the PSN could be doing this also no one is innocent in this kind of nickle and diming. For now though we are talking about XBL since they charge for EVERYTHING that is free for other’s. Now let me ask this final question.
Would you buy a DVD and then pay extra for the special features that should have been included from the Beginning?
Of course we will never know weather the add-on content was a deleted scene or a true add-on. The point is THIS NEEDS TO STOP if the add-on content was a deleted scene from a game it should be free. If it is TRUE ADD-ON content then being charged a small fee isn’t so bad. Who here agree’s with me?
Yes XBL sucking is annoying and having to pay for sub-par is gay but we all will be just fine when it’s all over and XBL continues to be great. Although, I do think that Xbox needs to take this time to fork over some dough and set up XBL with dedicated servers.
This is sad indeed. Why silence him when all he wanted to to was make XBL better? He’s reaching out to help not only Microsoft, but other gamers… he’s the definition of “online community”. I hope if Microsoft actually pulled his XBL account that he sues, and wins. From what I hear, XBL is great, but from what this dude is saying, it’s not all that great at all. Ads suck on top of all of the other stuff (no dedicated servers, and the like) I hate ads, especially if you’re paying for it. I also heard that XBL is laggy, but from what this guy is saying (p2p) I fully understand why now. You’re basically being double-charged for your internet and merely playing other people online.
Now if PSN starts charging for everything, I WILL get vocal: If they want to tout all of this space from Blu-Ray for games, they better darn well FILL IT. Don’t put out a game and then in the next month or two charge for stuff that could’ve fit on a disk plus some; I’d rather wait for the extra month so they can fill that bad boy up. I understand about deadlines and what not, but if you can’t make a deadline, don’t SET a deadline, or at least man-up and say that it’s going to be delayed for our sakes.
Both systems are great in their own way, and although we have our fanboys ans whatnot, I hope when a fellow gamer gets pushed around like this that we can come together as gamers and come to his aid. He had our back, I’ll get his.
@ pixelsword
If I remember correctly the Extra Space on the Blu-ray disc was supposed to be used so they could have all the code for all the different regions all on one Blu-ray disc. So that if you buy Folklore or someother game it should have the American Version, European Version & Japanese Version all on one disc. Now I have only heard of Ratchet & Clank: future tools of destruction having certain differences in the Japanese version of the disc. I can’t say they are doing it with all the games but supposedly that is what they are supposed to be doing
BTW what I mean by Japanese version of the disc is I heard that if you change the language of the game to Japanese within the game it changes Ratchet I believe, or at least that is what I heard. I cannot confirm it as I don’t have the game myself but if you have it you should try it.